In 2012 I qualified as a Stage Combat Instructor with the Academy of Performance Combat. In the following 7 years so far, I have had the privilege of teaching hundreds of students how to perform many and varied fights on stage, using fists, swords, knives, arrows and even hammers! All the while staying safe, having fun and looking epic. It's a pretty cool job!
What the heck is stage combat?
In a nutshell, Stage = Acting, Combat = Fighting. Many plays and TV shows have scripted violent moments, but even though God knows there are plenty of us actors to go round, it's generally frowned upon to just kill one off during every show. Stage Combat is an ever growing library of techniques and stage craft which helps us to portray that violence convincingly, whilst keeping the performers safe and healthy, so they can do it all again tomorrow in the matinee.